Winchester (UK Parliament constituency)

Winchester
County constituency
for the House of Commons

Boundary of Winchester in Hampshire.

Location of Hampshire within England.
County Hampshire
Electorate 74,138 (December 2010)[1]
Major settlements Winchester
Current constituency
Created 1918 (1918)
Member of Parliament Steve Brine (Conservative)
Number of members One
1295 (1295)–1918 (1918)
Number of members 1295–1885: Two
1885–1918: One
Type of constituency Borough constituency
Overlaps
European Parliament constituency South East England

Winchester is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election.

Contents

Boundaries

The constituency is centred around the Winchester district in Hampshire, sharing similar borders. The main city in the constituency is Winchester. Following their review of parliamentary representation in Hampshire, the Boundary Commission for England has created a new seat in the county. A new Meon Valley constituency was formed in 2010 from parts of the old Winchester seat.

History

1997 to present

At the 1997 general election, the incumbent MP Gerry Malone of the Conservative Party was defeated by Mark Oaten of the Liberal Democrats by just two votes. Malone petitioned the result and it was declared void by the High Court, necessitating a by-election. This was also won by Oaten, but this time with a majority of 21,556, after the Labour vote collapsed to 1.7% with the party losing its deposit. The candidacy of Richard Huggett in both 1997 elections as a "Literal Democrat" candidate led in part to the creation of the Registration of Political Parties Act 1998.

Oaten stood down at the 2010 general election and was replaced as Liberal Democrat candidate by Martin Tod. Following significant boundary changes, Tod was defeated by Conservative candidate Steve Brine, who took the seat with a majority of 3,048 votes.

Constituency profile

The ancient capital of Wessex, Winchester is a quiet and civilised cathedral city with the arts and humanities-oriented University and an affluent population. Deprivation levels are very low, and the population is a mix of students, academics, London and Southampton commuters, and those employed locally in high-tech industries springing up across Hampshire.

Further from the city centre is more rural farming territory, though much of this has now been transferred to other seats, making the Winchester seat more urban.

Politically, Winchester has had an interesting recent history, and the events of 1997 swung the constituency strongly away from its usual status as a fairly safe Conservative seat, to which it only just reverted in 2010.

Members of Parliament

1295 to 1660

Parliament First member Second member
1386 Richard Frye Mark Le Faire [2]
1388 (Feb) Mark Le Faire Gilbert Forster [2]
1388 (Sep) William Wygge John Blake[2]
1390 (Jan) Mark Le Faire John West [2]
1390 (Nov)
1391 Mark Le Faire Gilbert Forster [2]
1393 Mark Le Faire Edmund Picard [2]
1394 John Peverel Richard Gould [2]
1395 Mark Le Faire John Blake[2]
1397 (Jan) Henry Clerk Nicholas Tanner [2]
1397 (Sep) William Bolt Richard Pachford [2]
1399 Mark Le Faire Edmund Picard [2]
1401
1402 John Snell John Steor [2]
1404 (Jan)
1404 (Oct)
1406 Thomas Smale Edmund Picard [2]
1407 John Steor Robert Archer [2]
1410
1411 Mark Le Faire Robert Archer [2]
1413 (Feb) Mark Le Faire William Wood [2]
1413 (May) Mark Le Faire William Wood[2]
1414 (Apr)
1414 (Nov) Mark Le Faire William Wood [2]
1415 Richard Gould Richard Bolt [2]
1416 (Mar) Mark Le Faire William Wood [2]
1416 (Oct) Richard Turnaunt William Reson [2]
1417 Mark Le Faire Richard Turnaunt [2]
1419 Richard Bolt Richard Turnaunt [2]
1420 William Reson William Wood [2]
1421 (May) John French William Wood [2]
1421 (Dec) John French Thomas Cuter [2]
1510-1523 No names known[3]
1529 William Hawles Thomas Coke, died
and replaced after 1532 by ?Walter Chandler [3]
1536  ?William Hawles  ?Walter Chandler [3]
1539 Thomas Lee  ? [3]
1542 Walter Chandler  ? [3]
1545  ?
1547 William Honing John Foster [3]
1553 (Mar) Richard Bethell William Lawrence I [3]
1553 (Oct) Richard Bethell William Lawrence I [3]
1554 (Apr) William Lawrence I Robert Hodson [3]
1554 (Nov) William Lawrence I Robert Hodson[3]
1555 William Lawrence I Robert Hodson [3]
1558 Giles White William Lawrence I [3]
1559 (Jan) William Lawrence Robert Bethell[4]
1562 (Dec) William Lawrence Thomas Michelborne [4]
1571 Thomas Michelborne Richard Birde? [4]
1572 (May) Thomas Michelborne, died
and replaced Jan, 1583 by William Bethell		 John Caplyn [4]
1584 (Nov) John Wolley Thomas Fleming I [4]
1586 (Oct) John Wolley Thomas Fleming I[4]
1588 (Oct) Thomas Fleming I Francis Mylles [4]
1593 Sir Edward Stafford II Thomas Fleming I [4]
1597 (Oct) William Badger John Moore [4]
1601 (Oct) Edward Cole Sir Thomas Fleming II [4]
1604 John Moore Edward Cole
1621 Richard Tichborne William Savage
1624 Richard Tichborne James Lord Wriothesley
1625 Richard Tichborne Sir Thomas Philips
1626 Richard Tichborne Henry Whitehead
1628 Richard Tichborne Robert Mason
1629–1640 No Parliaments summoned
1640 (Apr) John Lisle Sir William Ogle
1640 (Nov) John Lisle Sir William Ogle, disabled June 1643
replaced 1645 by Nicholas Love
1654 John Hildesley
1656 John Hildesley
1659 John Hildesley Nicholas Love
1659 John Lisle Nicholas Love

MPs 1660-1885

Year First member[5] First party Second member[5] Second party
1660 John Hooke Thomas Cole
1660 Lord St John of Basing
1661 Richard Goddard Lawrence Hyde
1666 Sir Robert Mason
1669 Sir Robert Holmes
1679 Lord Annesley Sir John Cloberry
1685 Roger L'Estrange Charles Hanses
1689 Francis Morley Lord William Powlett
1690 Frederick Tylney
1701 George William Brydges
1710 Thomas Lewis
1714 George Brydges John Popham
1715 Lord William Powlett
1730 Norton Powlett
1734 Paulet St John
1741 William Powlett
1747 Henry Penton
1751 Paulet St John
1754 Marquess of Carnarvon
1761 Henry Penton Lord Harry Powlett
1765 George Paulet
1774 Lovell Stanhope
1783 Henry Flood
1784 Richard Grace Gamon
1796 Henry Temple, 2nd Viscount Palmerston
1802 Sir Henry St John-Mildmay, Bt
1807 Sir Henry St John Carew St John Mildmay
1812 Richard Meyler
1818 James Henry Leigh
1818 Paulet St John-Mildmay
1823 Sir Edward Hyde East
1831 James Buller East Conservative
1832 William Bingham Baring Liberal[6]
1835 Sir James Buller East Conservative[6]
1837 Paulet St John-Mildmay Liberal[6]
1841 Bickham Escott Conservative[6]
1847 John Bonham Carter Liberal[6]
1864 Thomas Willis Fleming Conservative[6]
1865 William Barrow Simonds Conservative[6]
1874 Arthur Robert Naghten Conservative[6]
1880 Viscount Baring Liberal Richard Moss Conservative[6]
1885 Representation reduced to one member

MPs since 1885

Election Member[5] Party
1885 Arthur Loftus Tottenham Conservative
1888 by-election Richard Moss Conservative
1892 William Myers Conservative
1906 Guy Baring Conservative
1916 by-election Douglas Carnegie Conservative
1917 National Party
1918 Sir George Hennessy Coalition Conservative
1922 Conservative
1931 Sir Robert Geoffrey Ellis Conservative
1935 Gerald Palmer Conservative
1945 George Jeger Labour
1950 Peter Smithers Conservative
1964 by-election Morgan Morgan-Giles Conservative
1979 John Browne Conservative
1992 Gerry Malone Conservative
1997 Mark Oaten Liberal Democrat
2010 Steve Brine Conservative

Elections

Elections in the 2010s

General Election 2010: Winchester[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Steve Brine 27,155 48.5 +11.2
Liberal Democrat Martin Tod 24,107 43.1 −7.0
Labour Patrick Davies 3,051 5.5 −3.9
UKIP Jocelyn Penn-Bull 1,139 2.0 −0.2
English Democrats Mark Lancaster 503 0.9 N/A
Majority 3,048 5.4 +18.2
Turnout 55,955 75.8 +3.9
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrat Swing +9.1

Elections in the 2000s

General Election 2005: Winchester
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrat Mark Oaten 31,225 50.6 −4.0
Conservative George Hollingbery 23,749 38.5 +0.2
Labour Patrick Davies 4,782 7.8 +1.9
UKIP David Abbott 1,321 2.1 +1.0
Independent Arthur Uther Pendragon 581 0.9 N/A
Majority 7,473 12.1
Turnout 61,655 71.9 −0.4
Liberal Democrat hold Swing −2.1
General Election 2001: Winchester
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrat Mark Oaten 32,282 54.6 +12.5
Conservative Andrew Hayes 22,648 38.3 -3.8
Labour Stephen Wyeth 3,498 5.9 -4.6
UKIP Joan Martin 664 1.1 +0.4
Wessex Regionalist Henrietta Rous 66 0.1 N/A
Majority 9,634 16.3
Turnout 59,158 72.3 -6.0
Liberal Democrat hold Swing

Note: The percentage differences are compared to the previous general election poll, not the by-election.

Elections in the 1990s

By-election 1997: Winchester
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrat Mark Oaten 37,006 68.0 +26
Conservative Gerry Malone 15,450 28.4 −13.6
Labour Patrick Davies 944 1.7 −8.8
UKIP Robin Page 521 1.0 +0.2
Monster Raving Loony Screaming Lord Sutch 316 0.6 +0.1
Literal Democrat Richard Huggett 51 0.1 −0.9
Natural Law Rosemary Barry 48 0.1 +0.1
Independent Conservative Roger Everest 40 0.1 +0.1
Majority 21,556
Turnout 68.7
Liberal Democrat gain from Conservative Swing
General Election 1997: Winchester
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrat Mark Oaten 26,100 42.1 +4.3
Conservative Gerry Malone 26,098 42.1 -8.0
Labour Patrick Davies 6,528 10.5 +3.1
Referendum Party Peter Strand 1,598 2.6 +2.6
"Liberal Democrat Top Choice for Parliament" Richard Huggett 640 1.0 +1.0
UKIP Derek Rumsey 476 0.8 +0.8
Independent John Browne 307 0.5 -4.2
Monster Raving Loony Peter Stockton 307 0.5 +0.5
Majority 2
Turnout 62,054
Void election result Swing

Note: The result reflects the official return made at the time. It was subsequently declared void upon petition.

Because of the presence on the ballot paper of Richard Huggett as "Liberal Democrat Top Choice for Parliament", Oaten used the description "Liberal Democrat Leader Paddy Ashdown" to identify himself as the official Liberal Democrat candidate.

General Election 1992: Winchester[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Gerry Malone 33,113 50.1 −2.3
Liberal Democrat AD Barron 24,992 37.8 −2.4
Labour PJ Jenks 4,917 7.4 +0.9
Independent Conservative John Browne 3,095 4.7 +4.7
Majority 8,121 12.3 +0.1
Turnout 66,117 83.2 +2.8
Conservative hold Swing +0.1

Elections in the 1980s

General Election 1987: Winchester
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Browne 32,195 52.4 −5.2
Social Democrat JL MacDonald 24,716 40.2 +6.2
Labour FC Inglis 4,028 6.6 −1.6
Green JP Walker 565 0.9 N/A
Majority 7,479 12.2 −11.4
Turnout 76,507 80.4 +4.2
Conservative hold Swing −5.7

See also

Notes and references

  1. ^ "Electorate Figures - Boundary Commission for England". 2011 Electorate Figures. Boundary Commission for England. 4 March 2011. http://www.boundarycommissionforengland.org.uk/electoral-figures/electoral-figures.htm. Retrieved 13 March 2011. 
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z "History of Parliamemt". http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1386-1421/constituencies/winchester. Retrieved 2011-10-02. 
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "History of Parliamemt". http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1509-1558/constituencies/winchester. Retrieved 2011-10-02. 
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j [http: "History of Parliamemt"]. http:. Retrieved 2011-10-02. 
  5. ^ a b c Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "W" (part 4)
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i Craig, F. W. S. (1989) [1977]. British parliamentary election results 1832–1885 (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. pp. 334–335. ISBN 0-900178-26-4. 
  7. ^ "BBC NEWS – Election 2010 – Winchester". BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/election2010/results/constituency/f17.stm. 
  8. ^ "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/ge92/ge92index.htm. Retrieved 2010-12-06. 
Constituencies in South East England (84)
Conservative (74)
Labour (4)
Liberal Democrats (4)
Green (1)
Speaker (1)